LETTER: Pity for the Punch and Judy politics

Recently we saw an excellent letter from Dr Chris Heath regarding problems with the NHS and UKIP’s policy to confront them.

We have also seen many thousands of policy leaflets delivered for that party across the District, along with District Councils candidate’s leaflets, setting out national and local NHS policy.

Sadly, some seem to be in denial about the messages in that letter and in those leaflets - and even about the reasons why so many no longer want to vote for their parties.

At a recent BBC Radio Hustings in Brighton, Parliamentary candidates were asked the question, a) what are the causes of high NHS staff turnover and b) how do you intend to eliminate the causes?

Only one candidate answered the question by saying, that the prime cause is too much box ticking and report writing, which demotivates professionals and takes them away from their patients. That candidate was not a member of any of the old parties, who still need to address that problem.

Locally the improvement of accessibility to healthcare and ambulance response times is clearly critical, including the need to get the best out of Horsham Hospital - pending the new Hospital promised by our last MP. Again that is all addressed in the letter and policy documents referred to above.

It is a pity that we can’t get away from the Punch and Judy politics that we have suffered from for many years. But if candidates would play the ball, rather than the player and stop speculating, then they would earn more respect.